A Closer Look At UConn's Frontcourt

Pluses: Power and size. Oriakhi, the team's second-leading rebounder last season, has experience and a tremendous offseason of training under his belt. A strong rebounder who knows the system. Has a nice touch and will be encouraged to shoot more.

Minuses: Oriakhi has a lot to prove offensively, and he'll have a great challenge in that many teams may double-team him. His ball-handling and finishing moves must improve.

Pluses: Seems to do a lot of things pretty well, from being smart on defense to being able to score from the outside. Olander gives UConn a new look with an ability to be a flash-out power forward. Has good court awareness and the size and muscle to rebound effectively.

Minuses: Needs to work on low-post moves. Being inexperienced, he'll likely have ups and downs against the bigger, stronger players in the Big East.

Charles Okwandu

7-0, 255

Pluses: Size. Okwandu gives UConn the look Jim Calhoun is used to -- a towering center anchoring the paint and protecting the basket. Okwandu is also UConn's best passing big man, able to look over defenses and find open teammates.

Minuses: Okwandu remains a very raw player. His struggles include post moves, ball-handling and, most damaging, a tendency to foul. Okwandu can't help if he's not on the floor, and he had twice as many fouls as rebounds last season.

Michael Bradley

6-10, 235

Pluses: Versatility. Bradley is said to be able to do a lot of things and moves well on the court. It remains to be seen, however, how many of those things he can do at a Big East level.

Minuses: Another very raw player, so much so that he is likely to redshirt this season to focus on the strengthening aspect and a challenging course load that comes with being a pharmaceutical major.

Enosch Wolf

7-1, 260

Pluses: Size and versatility. Wolf gives UConn another body that makes the roster look more like it usually does, and being from Germany, he brings a European style that encourages post players to work from the outside as well as near the basket.

Minuses: First of all, he won't join the team until Dec. 17, and he'll only have two games under his belt by the time the Huskies open Big East play at Pittsburgh. Asking Wolf to contribute immediately is asking a lot. Coaches are encouraged by his potential, but he might be overmatched for a while.